Controller lock-lever



A. H. WILLIAMS.

CONTROLLER LOCK LEVER. APPLICATION FILED JULYI5, 1920.

1,385,935. Patented July 26, 1921.

MM" (211d or machine which 1 it controls and operates.

ALBERT n. WILLIAMS, or .InoN roN,

COMPANY, or IRONTON,

CONTROLLER Application filed July 15,

specification.

This invention relates to --a controlling lock lever for limiting therange of movement of the controller or switch lever of electriccontrollers or switches and for locking the controller or switchlever'in certain fixed positions.

Controllers of the above indicated type are usually provided withacontrol handle and lever, and it has 1 been found possible for theoperator to hold the latch or look open and-pass the neutral or stopposition and thereby reverse the current suddenly, "which suddenreversal ofthe-electric current causes excessive arcing at=the contactsegments and fingers which not onlydamages said segments and fingers,but also the mechanical parts of the electric motor The objects of myinventionpare to provide a controlleror-switchlever operating thecontact segmentsor fingers with coactingi-means,.-zso that thecontroller or switch will be limited in-itsv range of operations or maybe locked in certain fixed positions andbecome foolproof andavoid-allpos 24, 25, or 26, and a projection or extension sibility ofsudden-reversal of current, excessive arcing at the contact segments orfingers, or injuryto-ithe"motor'for reasons above indicated. I

A further object -of-the-invention is to provide a combination andarrangement of elements :which consists of few parts, can beeasilywmanufactured, installed, or taken apart and inspected,andrepaired-ata minimumof cost. 1

Further objects and advantages of the inventionwwill appear from thedetailed description of the parts-and mode of operation :ofthe device Ito be hereinafter more v fully given.

The invention consists of structuralcharacteristics and relativearrangements of ele ments to be hereinafter more fully described andparticularly pointed out in the appended claims. I I

In the drawings, in which similar refer- Specification of LettersPatent.

controllertopor cover provided with lugs 11 and 12 preferably cast 29,said plunger 29 OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE IRONTON ENGINE OHIO, A CORPORATIONOF OHIO.

LOCK-LEVER.

Patented J 1113* 26, 1921. 1920. Serial cNo. 396,439.

ence characters indicate the same partsin the several figures,

Figure 1, is a plan view of a controller top showing the lever inneutral or off position :Fig. 2, is a longitudinal section on lineII-II, of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view similar to ,Fig. 1 showing the lever betweenneutral and full position in one directionand controller lock lever in,an arc of operation, and

Fig. 4 is a section on line IV,IV of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, 10 is the usual stop integral therewith, andhaving an opening 13 adapted to receive and through which passes therotatable controller shaft 14 carrying on its inner section, contactsegments 15 and 16 which engage the usual contact fingers 17, forpurpose of reversal of current, and

segments 18 and 19 for varying the speed of the motor, as is common inthis class of inventions and need no further description.

The top 10 ofthe controller is provided with a section or surface 20 onwhich a lock lever 21 oscillates or operates, said 27, said lugs orbosses 2 1 and 25 act as stops for purposes to be presently described,while lug 26 is drilled from its bottom or under face to form a circularrecess to receive a small coil spring 28 and plunger being adapted to beseated in any one of three pockets 30, properly spaced and arranged toregister with thethree different adjusted positions of the lock lever'21.

Mounted on the controller shaft 14 is an index collar 31 and acontroller lever 32, said controller lever 32 being firmly secured tosaid shaft 14, and the index collar 31 attached and rotating with thelever 32, sothat theshaft 14, lever 32 and collar 31 will rotate inunison during the rotation or adjustment of controller segments 15,16,18 and 19. t

. The i d a= smv1ded with a,

lug or boss 25 on lock concave recess 33 in its periphery, into whichthe projection or extension 27 on lock lever 21 will swing when thecontroller lever 32 is in the neutral position, as shown in Figs. 1 and2. The underside of the controller lever 32 is provided with a dependinglug 34 which is so arranged and constructed to abut against the stoplugs 11 and 12, on top or cover 10, and lugs or bosses 24 and 25,depending upon the adjusted position of the lock lever 21, for purposesto be presently described.

The parts being constructed and arranged as described, the operation ofthe invention is as follows:

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, it will be seen that the controller lever 32is locked in the neutral or off position in view of the fact that thedepending lug 34 on said lever 32 is between and practically in contactwith the lugs or bosses 24 and 25 of the lock lever 21 and theprojection or extension 27 on said lock lever 21 is within the concaverecess 33 of index collar 31, and hence it will be impossible to movethe controller lever 32 out of this neutral or off position until thelock lever 21 has been thrown into the posi tion shown in Fig. 3 againstthe stop lug 12, or in the opposite direction from that shown againstthe other lug 12. When the lock lever 21 is thrown in the position shownin Fig. 3, the controller lever 32 is limited in its oscillatingmovement or adjustment between the stop lug 11 on cover 10 and the lever21, and when the lock lever 21 is thrown in the other position from thatshown in Fig. 3, the controller lever 32 is limited in its movementbetween the other stop lug 11 and the lug or boss 24 of lock lever 21,as will be readily understood.

From these described arrangements, relations and cooperation of theparts, it will be seen that the lock lever 21 cannot be thrown into itscentral position, due to interference between the projection orextension 27 on lock lever 21 and the periphery of index collar 31 untilthe controller lever 32 has been brought to its neutral or off position,as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and the con cave recess 33 is so positionedas will enable said projection or extension 27 to clear the edge of theindex collar 31; when if desired the lock lever 21 may be secured to itscentral position and locking the controller lever 32 between the lugs orbosses 24 and 25, as heretofore explained. Similar and re verseoperations can be effected and will be manifest when the controllerlever 32 is turned in the reverse direction and is between the stop lug11 and the lug or boss 24.

From the foregoing disclosure of operation, the controller lever 32 isunable to be thrown from one side or direction of operation to thereverse side or direction without coming to a full stop, therebyabsolutely preventingthe sudden reversal of the current through themotor or excessive arcing at the contact segments and fingers of thecontroller.

It will also be clear that the lock lever 21 has another and mostimportant function of being able to positively lock the controller lever32 in a fixed or neutral position.

In the vertical position of the controller casing or shaft 14, it is notessential to provide the lock lever 21. with the boss 26, coil spring28, and plunger 29 cooperating with the pockets 30, and is only shown inthe present instance, should it be desired to hold the lock lever 21 inany one of its three adjusted positions in case the controller or shaft14- is horizontal or inclined from an upright position.

From the foregoing disclosure of construction and operation of thedevice, it will be apparent that all the objects and advantages recitedin the statement of invention have been fully and efficiently carriedout in a simple manner, and while I have described the invention withmore or less minuteness as to the details of construction andarrangement, the same is not limited to this particular and preferredform shown and described, and many modifications will readily suggestthemselves to any one without departing from the spirit of the presentinvention and be within the scope of the claims.

hat I claim is 1. A controller or switch operating device comprising acover having an opening, a r0 tatable shaft passing through said openingof the cover, a controller lever secured to said shaft for rotating thesame, a collar rotating with said shaft and controller lever, a locklever pivotally supported on said cover in proximity to said controllerlever and collar, means on said lock lever to engage said controllerlever and limit its angle and direction of rotation, and a secondarymeans on said lock lever to engage the index collar to lock thecontroller lever in a fixed or neutral position.

2. A controller or switch operating device com rising a cover having anopening, a rotata le shaft passing through said opening of the cover, acontroller lever secured to said shaft for rotating the same, an indexcollar rotating with said shaft and controller lever, a lock leverpivotally supported on sald cover in proximity to said controller leverand collar, lugs on said lock lever to engage said controller lever andlimit its angle and direction of rotation, a projection on said locklever to engage the index collar to lock the controller lever in a fixedor neutral position, and stops on said cover for limiting the movementof said controller lever and lock lever.

3. A controller or switch operating device comprising a cover having anopening, a rotatable shaft passing through said opening of the cover, acontroller lever secured to said shaft for rotating the same, an indexcollar rotating with said shaft and controller lever and provided with arecessed section at its periphery, a lock lever pivotally supported onsaid cover in proximity to said controller lever and collar, lugs onsaid lock lever to engage said controller lever and limit its angle anddirection of rotation, and a projection on said lock lever adapted topass into the recessed section of and interengage the index collar tolock the con troller lever in afixed or neutral position.

4. A controller or switch operating device comprising a cover having anopening, a rotatable shaft passing through said openin of the cover, acontroller lever provided witfi a depending lug and secured to saidshaft for rotating the same, an index collar rotating with said shaftand controller lever and provided with a recessed section at periphery,alock lever pivotally supported on said cover in proximity to saidcontroller lever and collar, lugs on said lock lever to engage thedepending lug on said controller lever and limit its angle and directionof rotation, a projection on said lock lever adapted to pass into therecessed section of and interengage the index collar to lock thecontroller lever in a fixed or neutral position, and stops on said coverfor limiting the movement of said controller lever and lock lever.

5. A controller or switch operating device comprising a cover having anopening, a rotatable shaft passing through said opening of the cover, acontroller lever secured to said shaft for rotating the same, lockinmeans connected to and rotating with said controller lever, a movablelock lever supported on said cover in proximity to said controllerlever, means on said lock lever to engage said controller lever andlimit its angle and direction of rotation, and means on said lock leverto engage the locking means connected to the controller lever to lockthe controller lever in a fixed or neutral 50 position. I

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

ALBERT R. WILLIAMS.

